Oak Ridge Today

UT Arboretum Society has spring plant sale in April

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its annual plant sale in Oak Ridge in April.

It’s the 57th Spring Plant Sale, and it’s scheduled for April 12 and 13 at the UT Arboretum at 901 South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62). There will be a “members only” sale from 4-7 p.m. Friday, April 12, and the public sale is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 13.

Society memberships or membership renewals may be purchased on Friday evening for the “early bird” shopping opportunity, a press release said.

“By joining UTAS?on Friday?night, people can enjoy the membership benefit of having the first pick of our beautiful selection of plants, some of which sell out that evening,” the press release said.?Checks, cash, and credit cards will be accepted.

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UT Arboretum Society has hike on Feb. 17

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A hike at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have a Third Saturday hike on Saturday, February 17.

The free, guided mid-winter hike is open to everyone. It will start at 9 a.m. February 17 at the 260-acre UT Arboretum at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Enjoy the forests and trails in this lovely, wooded setting,” a press release said. “Newcomers as well as previous participants are invited to join the hike. The hikes have been a staple of the UT Arboretum and UT Arboretum Society for over 15 years. This is a great opportunity to ‘walk off’ the holiday celebrations and get outside for some fresh air and exercise.”

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Bird courtship to be discussed in UT Arboretum Society program

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Bird courtship will be discussed in a pre-recorded program of the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society in February.

“Bird courtship has begun!” a press release said. “Either from new partnerships being formed or existing pairs renewing their bonds, it is that time of year when birds are looking for a mate. Each species is slightly different with some feeding, some grooming and some snuggling. But can we call it love? Join us for this pre-recorded program to discuss bird courtship.”

Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales will discuss aspects of avian pair bonding in a pre-recorded program for February’s First Thursday Nature Supper Club, the press release said.

“This is one of our favorite and most requested programs!” the press release said.

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Arboretum Nature Book Trail features new insect book

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The Nature Book Trail at the University of Tennessee Arboretum features “Bugs on the Job,” a book by author Nancy Kelly Allen and illustrator Martyna Nejman. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

The Nature Book Trail at the University of Tennessee Arboretum features “Bugs on the Job,” a book by author Nancy Kelly Allen and illustrator Martyna Nejman.

The Nature Book Trail is about half a mile in length. It begins near the parking lot by the UT Arboretum Visitors Center at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“It is an easy trail for children and adults to hike, with two benches to rest on along the way; however, it is non-accessible for people with disabilities,” the press release said. “The 14 beautiful trail signs feature Ian Sect, a roving reporter who interviews 10 different insects to learn about their roles in nature as decomposers, pollinators, or colonizers.”

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Professor to discuss microplastics in rivers

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Martin Knoll (Submitted photo)

A geology and hydrology professor will discuss the dangers of microplastics in rivers during a program in Oak Ridge on Thursday, September 29.

Martin Knoll is professor of geology and hydrology and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems at the University of the South. He will talk to the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.

The program is at the UT Arboretum Auditorium at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge starting at 7 p.m. September 29. The talk is titled “Microplastics in the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Rhine Rivers: Why We Should Care.”

Knoll’s presentation will focus on his research investigating the concentration and types of microplastics found in the three rivers, a press release said. Special emphasis will be placed on his recent findings about the major sources of these microplastics and what might be done to reduce their numbers.

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Learn why bugs are good

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Every bug has a purpose. Did you know that very few caterpillars reach their mature size because birds gobble them down? It is estimated that one pair of chickadees must find 6,000 caterpillars to feed one brood of fledglings. Carpenter bees pollinate tomatoes. Flies pollinate pawpaws. Gnats pollinate Jack-in-the pulpits, while hummingbirds eat gnats. Ants plant trillium seeds, and flickers eat ants. Cardinals eat adult beetles, while brown thrashers eat their grubs. It is a complicated and intricate circle of life. The list goes on and on. 

Join local naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales to learn about why “Bugs are Not Bad” at the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s First Thursday Nature Supper Club via Zoom on Thursday, August 4, at 7 p.m.  Eastern time.

The program is free, but registration is required to receive your link. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org.  This program will be recorded, and closed captioning is available. 

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Learn about bird courtship on Thursday

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will host a presentation next week about bird courtship and pair bonding.

The First Thursday Nature Supper Club program is titled “Love is in the Air.” It is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 3.

“Though it is only February, bird courtship has begun,” a press release said. “Male birds vie for the attention of the females in a variety of ways. We will explore what all that cooing is about!”

“You provide your own stay-at-home supper, and we provide the nature as local naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales will entertain and teach us via Zoom what counts for beauty in the avian world,” the press release said. “We will look at many species. Great horned owls are the first to start courtship rituals, while cedar waxwings typically do not begin their pair bonding until June.”

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UT Arboretum Society resumes hikes after almost two years

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will resume its Third Saturday Hike on Feb. 19 after almost two years due to COVID-19 closures. (Submitted photo)

It has been almost two years since the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has had a Third Saturday Hike because of COVID-19 closings.

“The organization is excited to announce the resumption of the hikes beginning February 19 at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge, 901 South Illinois Avenue,” a press release said. “Enjoy over 260 acres of forest and trails in this lovely wooded setting.”

The theme for February is a newcomer’s hike, the press release said. Everyone is welcome to participate in this free guided hike. Newcomers to the area, newcomers to the UT Arboretum, and newcomers to hiking are encouraged to join as well as previous participants. The hikes have been a staple of the UT Arboretum and UT Arboretum Society for more than 13 years This is a great opportunity to “walk off” the food and festivities of the Super Bowl and the Olympics, the press release said.

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UT Aboretum Society Butterfly Festival will be online

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Photo submitted by University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Sixth Annual Butterfly Festival will be available online beginning Saturday, September 18, a press release said. This year’s Butterfly Festival will again be virtual with outstanding lectures and special video programs for children, the release said.

The festival will go live online at 10 a.m. September 18 and remain available for you to watch at your convenience. You may register to be emailed the links for these free programs at www.utarboretumsociety.org. Registration for this event is required. These programs will be recorded, and closed captioning is available, the press release said.

Co-sponsored by the UT Institute of Agriculture, this event has become one of the most popular events annually with more than 2,000 people attending in 2019. Due to the uncertain nature of COVID-19 precautions, this year’s festival has been filmed in advance to be presented online. “This will be a different festival than in the past as there are no on-site activities, but we are excited to bring the public some great online options,” the press release said.

“To celebrate the spirit of the festival, we invited the public to order and decorate wooden butterflies,” the release said. “These butterflies will be on display throughout the month of September around our Visitors Center. We invite you to enjoy this display whenever you visit the Arboretum during September.”

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UT Arboretum Society has online fall plant sale from Sept. 25-Oct. 10

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Conifers from East Fork Nursery of Sevierville (Submitted photo)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Annual Plant Sale will be online only this year. It is scheduled from September 25 to October 10. You can shop for new plants from home.

The UT Arboretum Society’s plant sales are some of their biggest fundraisers of the year. They help support the arboretum’s community education, trail improvements such as its Nature Book Trail, and children’s programs, a press release said.

The online plant sale will give you a chance to enhance your garden this fall.

“Fall is always a wonderful time for planting as it gives your plants time to establish great root systems for the spring,” the press release said.

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UT Arboretum Society has Fall Plant Sale on Saturday

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University of Tennessee Arboretum Society Fall Plant Sale (Submitted photo)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

The sale is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 19, at the UT Arboretum, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Fall is the ideal time to add plants to your landscape because of milder temperatures and more dependable rainfall,” a press release said. “In addition, the fact that plants are not putting energy into their top growth but devoting all their resources to developing a strong root system will give them a head start in the spring and a much better survival rate.”

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Butterfly Festival is Aug. 3

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, August 3. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities.

The festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 3 at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and its surrounding grounds at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The charge is $5 per carload, a press release said. This is a change from previous years. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine, the release said.

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